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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26133139">Would it be Enough (If I could never give you peace)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LPSunnyBunny/pseuds/LPSunnyBunny'>LPSunnyBunny</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Homestuck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Affection, Comfort Sex, Frottage, Incest, Intimacy, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Nightmares, Past Child Abuse, Post-Sburb (Homestuck), Praise Kink, Self-Doubt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:48:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,351</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26133139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LPSunnyBunny/pseuds/LPSunnyBunny</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-game, not epilogues/H^2 compliant. </p><p>Dirk wakes up from a nightmare. Dave helps assuage his fears.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dave Strider/Dirk Strider</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Sloppy Seconds 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Would it be Enough (If I could never give you peace)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Overandout/gifts">Overandout</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The tiniest noise wakes Dave from sleep.</p><p>It’s a soft little whimper, just a second, maybe two- but it’s enough to have Dave blinking up at the ceiling in confusion. It doesn’t take much to wake him at all thanks to years of living with Bro- but his brain takes a minute to catch up with everything else going on.</p><p>He looks at Dirk, who’s curled up on his side, facing away from Dave. There’s an edge to his shoulders that tells Dave everything he needs to know.</p><p>Nightmare.</p><p>Dave turns over to drape one arm over Dirk’s waist. He curls in close, pressing up against Dirk’s back, and whispers, “hey. Hey. Dirk. It’s okay.”</p><p>Dirk is tense under his touch. Dave can feel the sweat seeping through Dirk’s sleep shirt, the fabric sticking to Dave’s bare chest. Dirk isn’t waking up, though, so Dave gives him a little squeeze and says, “Dirk. It’s okay. You’re dreaming. Can you wake up for me, bro?”</p><p>Dirk flinches and then he’s gasping and his hand grabs Dave’s wrist as he pants. Dave holds him tight as he trembles, sucking in heavy breaths, as he works through the residual panic of waking.</p><p>“....Dave?” Dirk whispers, as his breathing slowly starts to settle.</p><p>“Yeah, it’s me,” Dave confirms, pressing his forehead to the back of Dirk’s head. “You okay?”</p><p>There’s a pause.</p><p>“Not really,” Dirk admits. Dave gives him a little squeeze of comfort.</p><p>“You want to talk about it?”</p><p>“....not really.”</p><p>“Mkay.” Dave kisses the back of Dirk’s neck, enjoying the tiny little shiver that runs down Dirk’s spine in response. His breath is warm as it rushes over Dirk’s skin, Dirk warm and solid in his arms.</p><p>Dirk doesn’t always want to talk- and that’s fine. Lord knows that Dave’s got enough issues of his own that he plays the tango of avoidance with- he can hardly fault Dirk for doing the same. Another Strider trait, it would seem.</p><p>“Do you want to go back to sleep?” Dave asks, since it’s still dark out. Dirk’s fingers trace over the back of his hand.</p><p>Dirk huffs a soft, wry laugh as he repeats, again, “not really.”</p><p>“Cool.” Dave doesn’t need to look to know that it’s a little after four in the morning. He gives Dirk another squeeze and pushes himself up into a sitting position, yawning.</p><p>“You don’t have to get up, you know,” Dirk says, guilt creeping into his tone. He sits up and Dave leans over to kiss him with a little hum of thought.</p><p>“Suppose not.” Dave agrees. “But what’s the point of being in bed if you ain’t here? You know I get lonely sleeping all on my own.” The teasing works, Dave can see the corner of Dirk’s mouth twitching.</p><p>“Well, I’d hate for you to get lonely,” Dirk says. “Guess I better stay in bed after all.”</p><p>“Good.” Dave scoots over, wraps an arm around Dirk’s waist, and presses him down to the bed, lying halfway on top of him, nuzzling against his neck with a pleased hum.</p><p>Dave sighs a little, pleased with the way that Dirk goes boneless underneath him. He’s noticed that Dirk likes pressure- and he puts that knowledge to good use in situations like this.</p><p>One of Dirk’s hands creep up into the back of Dave’s hair and stays there, just holding. Dave hums softly, pressing a kiss to the crook of Dirk’s neck.</p><p>“Love you, bro.” Dave murmurs.</p><p>“Yeah.” Dirk says softly. “Love you too.”</p><p>Dirk always says the words like he’s not quite sure how they fit in his mouth- pronouncing them carefully, like they’ll cut him if he’s not careful. Dave wants to find whatever edges are on those words and sand them down, make it so that Dirk doesn’t have to be afraid. One little press of the grindstone at a time.</p><p>Dave settles back in to drift off again, content with holding Dirk and touching him and hearting his heartbeat nice and firm in his chest. Dirk’s here, underneath him, and they’re both alive and that’s great, that’s awesome. As long as they’ve got that, Dave is sure they can deal with anything that comes their way.</p><p>“It was Bro,” Dirk says, all of a sudden. Dave goes to raise his head, but Dirk grips the back of his head tightly, keeping Dave’s face in his shoulder. Dave can take the hint, so he goes relaxed again, letting Dirk talk.</p><p>“Your Bro. Me-Bro.” Dirk is fumbling with his words just a little bit. Dave stays quiet, letting him find the words.</p><p>“I think,” Dirk says falteringly. He swallows thickly. “My brain just. Can’t let it go. The idea I could become like him. I could... treat you like him.”</p><p>Ah. That’s a real kicker, ain’t it?</p><p>Dave hums a little, slipping his hand under Dirk’s shirt to rest his palm on Dirk’s stomach, just warm and comforting.</p><p>“Well, for one, you’re not him,” Dave says, “and I don’t think you’ll ever be like him.”</p><p>Dave shakes his head a little, mouth turning into a flat line as he thinks back to those thirteen years spent with his guardian.</p><p>“You care.” He says simply. “He didn’t. At least, I don’t think he did, not really. I think he was...” Dave trails off, then shrugs. “Dunno. Don’t have the brainpower to think about it right now.”</p><p>He rubs his fingers back and forth over Dirk’s stomach.</p><p>“But I don’t think you’ll ever be like him.” Dave continues, contemplatively. “You’ve got all of us. You’ve got <em><span>me</span></em>. We’ll keep your head on straight. I don’t think... Bro had <em><span>any</span></em> friends. At least none that I saw.”</p><p>He drops a kiss to Dirk’s shoulder.</p><p>“I promise, if you ever start acting like him- I’ll kick your ass,” Dave says seriously, “and then we’ll sort it out. Okay?”</p><p>Dirk is quiet, and Dave is quiet, letting him be quiet and think.</p><p>“...okay,” Dirk says softly. “Yeah. Okay.” He sighs. “I guess it’s the conundrum of nature vs nurture. Am I predestined to eventually become him because of how we were created? Or is the simple fact of how we were raised enough to diverge our paths?”</p><p>“Oh, hush.” Dave makes a low, amused noise. “You’re not predetermined to become a stoic asshole who dropkicks eleven-year-olds across a roof.” Dirk’s grip on Dave goes tight at that for a moment. “I’m pretty sure if you tried that Jane would tear you to shreds for being a piece of shit. Doesn’t the thought of Jane’s wrath hold you back from going anywhere near that kind of life path?”</p><p>Dirk shudders. That’s answer enough, so Dave grins against Dirk’s shoulder.</p><p>“See? It doesn’t matter if you’re <em><span>predisposed </span></em>to be an asshole or whatever- you’ve got your friends to keep you on the straight and narrow and the not-asshole path.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Dirk says, and there’s something relieved in his tone. “You’re right.”</p><p>“Of course I’m right,” Dave says with a yawn. “I’m the big brother now. I will big brother your ass into obedience and understanding and love and kumbayah my lord this shit into being two healthy ass bros until there’s nothing but sparkling clean bathroom tiles all scrubbed down and washed clean with lemon-scented shit because citrus is the smell of the gods.”</p><p>“So,” Dave hauls himself up and props himself up on one elbow, looking down at his brother, still half-way pinned underneath him. Dirk looks up at him with his gorgeous orange eyes, soft with a kind of amused affection. “you better learn that we’re not giving up on you- and we won’t let <em><span>you </span></em>give up on you, either. Got it?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Dirk says. “I got it. Ten-four loud and clear, bro.”</p><p>“Good.” Dave leans in and kisses Dirk once, just a light little press of their mouths, warm and soft. Pulling back, he grins down at Dirk and says, deliberately, “I love you.”</p><p>Dirk’s face goes pink and there’s a pulse against Dave’s thigh.</p><p>“Love you- you too.” Dirk fumbles over his words. Dave leans in and brushes their noses together and says, again.</p><p>“I love you.” Warm and full of as much affection as he can manage. Dirk shudders and the pulse is a <em><span>throb</span></em> this time.</p><p>“Dave-” Dirk tries to cover his mouth with a hand, but Dave gathers up both of Dirk’s wrists and gently pin them to the bed above Dirk’s head.</p><p>“Shh.” Dave shushes him gently as Dirk’s eyes go wide. He shifts to press his thigh against Dirk’s cock, which is very quickly chubbing up.</p><p>“Just relax.” Dave murmurs. “I’ll take care of you, yeah? It’s okay. I’ve got you.” He brushes their noses together again and breaths, “<em><span>I love you.</span></em>”</p><p>He drinks in Dirk’s response, the fluttering of his eyes and the tiny little gasp as his gaze slides away, the way his hips press up against Dave, ever so slightly, like he’s trying to hold himself back.</p><p>“You’re lovely, Dirk,” Dave says, gently squeezing Dirk’s wrists. “I really do love you so goddamn much. I get to wake up every day to a handsome, smart, loving boyfriend- and the icing on the cake is how <em><span>gentle </span></em>you really are, Dirk.”</p><p>Dirk is squirming underneath him with each word that falls from Dave’s mouth. It’s adorable, how embarrassed he’s getting- and he can’t hide at all with Dave this close. He’s completely bare for Dave to see- and it’s <em><span>beautiful.</span></em> He wants to see Dirk like this all the time, squirming and open- but then other people would see him like that and okay, yeah, Dave might be a little bit possessive because he doesn’t want <em><span>anyone </span></em>touching Dirk like this, making him look like this.</p><p>“Dirk.” Dave presses his thigh firmly against Dirk’s cock and Dirk groans, his gaze flitting to look at Dave, cheeks red, mouth pressed into an embarrassed line. “Look at me, darling.”</p><p>He’s being so unfair, breaking out the pet names. He <em><span>knows </span></em>what they do to Dirk.</p><p>He watches as Dirk swallows thickly and nods slowly, just a tiny little thing, as he holds Dave’s gaze. His eyes keep darting away, but he returns almost immediately- embarrassed flickers as Dave gently presses and rocks his thigh against Dirk.</p><p>“<em><span>I love you.</span></em>” Dave whispers, soft, loving, <em><span>intimate</span></em>. Holding Dirk’s gaze in a searingly hot gaze, feeling stripped to the core just from Dirk’s desperately needy, terrified eyes. Dirk lets out a distressed, shuddering breath, his expression threatening to crumple- but his hips jerk up against Dave and Dave knows it’s exactly what Dirk needs right now, needs to hear.</p><p>“I’ll say it as many times as I have to,” Dave says, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Dirk’s trembling lips. “<em><span>I love you. </span></em>I won’t let you become him. I’m staying- there’s no way you’re getting rid of me.”</p><p>Dave can pinpoint the moment that the tears spill over- even with his eyes closed he knows that tiny little stuttered inhale. Water spills from Dirk’s eyes, but still Dave doesn’t let go of Dirk’s wrists, pressing soft kisses to Dirk’s neck and jaw as Dirk breathes wetly.</p><p>“I want you to be happy.” Dave murmurs. “I want you to feel good about yourself- I want you to not be afraid anymore of all that stupid shit. You’re <em><span>you,</span></em> Dirk. Not him. I love you. I love you so fucking much- I’m never leaving you. Not ever. I promise.”</p><p>Dirk’s helplessly rocking up against Dave, squirming and panting. He’s always been so terribly weak for affection- and now it seems to be doubly so, in the wake of such a distressing nightmare.</p><p>“So relax, darling, I’ve got you.” Dave soothes. “I’ve got you. I love you so much. You don’t have to worry for a moment. I’ll always take care of you, even when you think you don’t deserve it.”</p><p>He drops a kiss to Dirk’s neck and amends, “<em><span>especially </span></em>when you think you don’t deserve it.”</p><p>He’s shifting, rocking his leg in time with Dirk’s desperate jerking, Dirk’s breath coming heavier.</p><p>“Go ahead and let go, Dirk. I’ve got you. I promise- I love you.” Dave kisses Dirk’s neck as a shiver runs through Dirk and his hips jump with a desperate little noise. So Dave says it again.</p><p>“I love you.” Dirk feels so hot and hard through his underwear against Dave’s thigh, his jerking more like humping than anything else. “I love you.”</p><p>“Dave-” Dirk whines softly, tugging at Dave’s hold on his wrists. “Kiss me, please?” Dirk asks, and Dave obliges, kissing Dirk so soft and sweet and tender as he fucks his thigh down against Dirk’s cock. Dirk moans so sweetly, so desperately, into Dave’s mouth.</p><p>“I love you.” Dave breathes and that’s finally enough, that does it, Dirk is shuddering and crying out and crying, his cock pulsing against Dave’s thigh as he cums.</p><p>Dave smiles softly and lets go of Dirk’s wrists, watching as Dirk shudders and blinks thickly through the tears making his eyes swim.</p><p>“I ain’t ever leaving you, you know,” Dave says. “You won’t scare me off. If you start acting like him then we’re all here to catch you and yank you right on back.”</p><p>“Okay,” Dirk says, his voice thick with relief and tears and a desperate, fragile kind of love. Dave leans in and kisses him. Soft and gentle, just a brush of their mouths.</p><p>He slips off and lies next to Dirk, pulling Dirk in to hug him against Dave’s chest. Dirk curls in against him gratefully, holding him tightly.</p><p>“Go back to sleep,” Dave says softly, his fingers gently playing with Dirk’s hair. “I’m here.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Dirk murmurs, then makes a low, disgusted noise.</p><p>One pair of dirty boxers tossed into the hamper later and a clean pair tugged on, Dirk is pressing back up against Dave’s chest.</p><p>“Love you too,” Dirk whispers softly against Dave’s skin. “Thank you.”</p><p>“Of course, Dirk.” Dave hums softly, then drops a kiss into Dirk’s hair. “Now go back to sleep. It’s too early.”</p><p>“Okay. Goodnight.”</p><p>“Night.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you enjoy my writing, check me out on twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/LPSunnyBunny">@LPSunnyBunny</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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